The Singhania deal was finally signed. The conference room erupted into applause as Rakshit and Mr. Singhania exchanged a firm handshake across the polished table. Months of negotiations, countless meetings, and sleepless nights had finally led to this moment.
"Congratulations, Mr. Bharadwaj." Mr. Singhania smiled warmly as he shook Rakshit's hand.
"Likewise." Rakshit returned the handshake with his usual professional smile.
To everyone else, he looked exactly like the composed CEO who had successfully closed another multi-crore deal.
Only one person noticed the difference.
Standing a few steps behind him with the project files in her hand, Aprajita frowned ever so slightly.
His smile never reached his eyes. His face looked unusually pale, and there was a heaviness in the way he stood, as though he was forcing himself to remain upright.
She watched him for another moment before pushing the thought away. He's probably just exhausted.
After all, he hadn't taken a single proper break in weeks.
---
By the time they reached Bharadwaj Mansion that evening, the sky had already turned dark.
Rakshit walked in without his usual greeting, loosening his tie as he climbed the staircase. Every step felt heavier than the last.
Aravind, who had been reading in the living room, immediately looked up. "Rakshit?"
Rakshit paused halfway up the stairs and turned. "Hmm?"
Aravind studied him carefully. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Dad." The answer came a little too quickly.
Before Aravind could ask anything else, Rakshit continued upstairs without waiting for a response.
Aprajita, who had just entered behind him, quietly watched him disappear around the corner.
A strange uneasiness settled inside her.
Something didn't feel right.
Nearly half an hour later, she stood outside their bedroom with a glass of warm water in one hand for a second, before she pushed the door open.
Rakshit hadn't even changed. He was still wearing his office clothes, sitting on the edge of the bed with one elbow resting on his knee and his hand pressed against his forehead.
The room was silent. "What happened?" She asked.
He looked up slowly. "Nothing."
Aprajita walked closer, her brows knitting together. "You don't look okay."
"I'm just tired."
She didn't argue. Instead, she quietly reached out and placed the back of her palm against his forehead. The unexpected touch made him stiffen.
His eyes immediately lifted to hers. "You have fever."
"I'm fine."
She frowned. "You are burning."
"It's just because I worked continuously."
Without responding, she pulled out her phone. Rakshit looked at the screen. "What are you doing?"
"Calling Dr. Kapoor." She answered.
"There is no need."
She had already pressed the call button.
---
An hour later, Dr. Kapoor finished examining him. Closing his stethoscope, he looked directly at Rakshit.
"Viral fever.You've overworked yourself."
He scribbled a prescription before handing it to Aprajita. "Complete bed rest for a week"
Rakshit gave him a tired smile. "Doctor, tomorrow I have-"
Dr. Kapoor didn't even let him finish.
"You have fever. If you continue like this, you'll need a month instead of a week."
There was no room for negotiation in his voice. After explaining the medicines and dosage, he packed his bag and left.
The bedroom fell quiet once again.
Rakshit turned towards Aprajita, who was carefully folding the prescription.
"You called him without asking me."
She didn't even look up. "Yes."
There wasn't a hint of apology in her voice.
---
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room. Aprajita walked in carrying a breakfast tray, only to stop in the doorway.
Rakshit was already dressed. His charcoal-grey suit was perfectly pressed.
His tie was neatly knotted.
His laptop bag rested beside him.
She stared at him in disbelief. "What are you doing?"
He looked up calmly. "Getting ready."
"The doctor asked you to rest." She told him
"I'll rest after office." He said walking towards the mirror.
"No."
Rakshit raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"You are not going."
"I am." He said looking at her through the mirror.
"You have fever."
"I have responsibilities."
"So does your body."
He reached for his laptop. Before he could pick it up, Aprajita quietly stepped in front of the bedroom door.
Rakshit looked at her. "Move."
She folded her arms. "No."
"Aprajita." He raised his voice. "I'm serious."
"So am I." She retort back.
For several silent seconds, neither of them moved.
Finally, Rakshit sighed. "You've become very stubborn."
The corner of her lips lifted. "I learnt from my husband."
For the briefest moment, he almost smiled.
Almost.
Then, without another word, he simply walked around her and opened the door.
She knew she couldn't physically stop him. All she could do was watch him leave.
---
The office buzzed with excitement.
Employees congratulated Rakshit as he walked through the corridors. Everyone was celebrating the successful Singhania deal.
An hour later, the boardroom filled for the strategy meeting. Rakshit stood at the front, presenting the next phase of expansion. Aprajita sat beside him, taking notes as usual.
Halfway through explaining the projections, Rakshit's voice suddenly faltered. His vision blurred. The file slipped from his hand.
Instinctively, he grabbed the edge of the conference table to steady himself.
The moment lasted barely two seconds.
Most people didn't even notice.
But Aprajita did.
She immediately stood up. "Sir."
Rakshit straightened himself. "I'm fine."
She ignored him completely. Looking around the room, she spoke in a calm but unmistakably firm voice. "Meeting adjourned."
Everyone looked at her in confusion. One of the directors hesitated. "But ma'am-"
"He has 102-degree fever. This meeting is over." The room fell silent.
For the first time, no one questioned her authority.
Rakshit frowned. "Aprajita."
She turned towards Dubey instead. "Cancel every meeting till tomorrow."
Dubey looked uncertain. "Ma'am..."
"That's an instruction." She said.
He immediately nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
---
Only after everyone began leaving did she walk back to Rakshit. She picked up his file and looked at him. "Let's go."
He shook his head. "I'm staying."
"No."
"I said no."
"So did I."
The few employees still inside the room exchanged silent glances.
This wasn't an employee arguing with her CEO anymore. This was his wife refusing to let him ignore his health.
Rakshit lowered his voice. "Don't create a scene."
Her expression remained unchanged. "You already did. You almost fainted."
"I didn't."
"You lost balance."
"I'm okay."
Without another word, she reached for his laptop and lifted it off the table.
Rakshit blinked. "Give it back."
She calmly held it against her chest. "No."
"My laptop." He forwards his hand.
"You'll get it when your fever comes down."
He looked at her in disbelief. "You can't order me."
She met his gaze without flinching. "I'm not."
A brief silence followed.
Then, before she could stop herself, the words escaped. "I'm taking care of my husband."
The sentence hung in the air. She froze.
So did he.
She hadn't planned to say it. It had simply come from the heart before her mind could intervene. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, she turned towards the driver waiting outside the conference room.
"Bring the car."
Then she looked back at Rakshit. Her voice was softer now, but no less determined. "You can either walk with me.....or I'll ask Dubey and the driver to help you."
Rakshit stared at her. There was no fear in her eyes.
No hesitation.
No trace of the employee who reported to him every day.
Standing before him was simply a woman who cared too much to watch him make himself sicker.
After several long seconds, he let out a slow, defeated sigh. "...Fine."
Aprajita gave a small nod. "Good."
Without another word, she turned and walked towards the lift. This time, Rakshit followed. Not because he had suddenly accepted defeat.
Not because she had won the argument.
But because, somewhere deep inside, he realised something unexpected.
The gentle, soft-spoken woman he had married possessed a stubbornness every bit as unyielding as his own.
💛
The next morning, Rakshit woke to the aroma of freshly brewed ginger tea.
His fever had reduced slightly, but his body still felt heavy. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and walked to the balcony overlooking the living room.
Voices drifted up from below.
Not one.
Several.
He frowned.
The Bharadwaj Mansion had always been unusually quiet.
Today, it wasn't. His gaze landed on Aprajita standing near the dining table, gently scolding one of the servants.
"What do you mean you skipped breakfast?"
The young servant smiled sheepishly. "I woke up late, bhabhi."
"So?"
"I'll eat later."
She folded her arms. "No. Go sit. I'll ask Kamla aunty to serve you."
The boy hurried away, smiling despite being scolded. A few moments later, Aravind entered the dining room.
The moment she saw him, Aprajita picked up his medicine box. "Papa.."
He looked at it and groaned dramatically.
She smiled knowingly, placing the tablets beside his plate. " Today you're taking them before breakfast."
Aravind glanced upstairs as though hoping for rescue. "Rakshit...Save me."
Before Rakshit could respond, Aprajita shook her head. "No one is saving you today. " Aravind sighed in defeat before quietly swallowing the medicine.
Watching from upstairs, Rakshit couldn't help noticing how easily everyone listened to her.
Not because she ordered them.
Because they wanted to.
The rest of the day passed much the same.
She reminded the gardener to drink water in the afternoon sun, thanked the cook for preparing khichdi, laughed with the house staff while arranging fresh flowers, and somehow managed to fill every corner of the mansion with effortless conversation.
Lying back against his pillow that evening, Rakshit looked around the house thoughtfully. A month ago, breakfast had been silent. Dinner had been silent.
Now, there was laughter. Conversations floated through the hallways.
The soft chime of bangles echoed from one room to another.
He frowned slightly. When did all this happen? He had been so consumed by work that he hadn't even noticed.
Just then, Aprajita's laughter floated up from downstairs. A faint smile appeared on his face before he quickly shook his head.
She's just taking care of the house, he told himself.
Anyone in her place would've done the same.
But somewhere deep inside, he knew that wasn't true.
Not everyone could make a house feel like a home in just one month.
💛
After a week, Rakshit was back at the office.
The fever had finally subsided, though Aprajita still kept a quiet eye on him. Every morning, she would walk into his cabin with the day's files, place his medicines neatly beside his laptop without a word, brief him about the schedule, and leave. She never asked whether he had taken the tablets. She simply made sure they were always within his reach.
As always, Rakshit never thanked her.
And as always, she never expected him to.
That afternoon, a delegation from Mehra Infrastructure arrived to discuss a potential joint venture with House of Bharadwaj. The conference room was soon filled with discussions, charts, and financial projections.
Aprajita stood before the screen, presenting the market analysis she had spent the past week preparing. She answered every question with calm confidence, backing each point with data and practical reasoning. By the time she concluded, the room was filled with appreciative nods.
One of the younger representatives, Karan Mehra, smiled as he closed his notebook.
"Ms. Sharma, that was impressive."
"Thank you," Aprajita replied politely.
"I've attended plenty of strategy meetings, but your analysis was one of the most practical I've seen."
A modest smile crossed her face. "I'm glad it helped."
Leaning back in his chair, Karan added, "In fact, we'd love to have you involved in all our upcoming projects as well."
Before Aprajita could respond, Rakshit's calm voice cut across the room. "That won't be possible."
Everyone turned towards him.
Rakshit looked at Karan without a trace of emotion. "Mrs. Bharadwaj already has enough work. I don't believe in overloading my employees."
He closed the file in front of him before continuing. "If your projects require additional coordination, we'll assign another project lead."
For a brief second, the room fell silent.
Then Karan nodded with an understanding smile. "Of course, Mr. Bharadwaj. I completely understand."
The meeting moved on as though nothing unusual had happened.
---
The moment the clients stepped out of the conference room, the whispers began.
"Did you hear that?"
"Our boss didn't even let them ask for her."
"He sounded so possessive."
"Obviously. She's his wife."
"I've never seen sir reject a client request like that."
Another employee chuckled.
"Marriage changes people."
---
Inside his cabin, however, Rakshit had already moved on. He opened the next file on his desk and immersed himself in work as if the conversation had never happened.
A soft knock interrupted him.
"Come in."
Dubey stepped inside, holding a folder in his hand. "Sir... should I inform the Mehra team that Aprajita ma'am won't be handling any of their future projects?"
Rakshit looked up briefly. "I already said that."
"Yes, sir." With that, Dubey quietly excused himself.
After the door closed, Rakshit leaned back in his chair, his brows knitting together. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of it?
He hadn't said anything unusual. Aprajita was already managing four major projects, monthly reviews, and most of his schedule. Adding another client to her workload simply wasn't practical.
That was all. Nothing more.
---
Meanwhile, outside, Aprajita was arranging a stack of files on her desk when Reshmi appeared beside her with an unmistakable grin. "Your husband is impossible."
Aprajita looked up, amused. "What happened now?"
Reshmi dropped into the chair opposite her and laughed. "He practically told that client, 'Hands off, she's already mine.'"
Aprajita blinked before bursting into laughter. "Reshmi...that's not what happened."
"Oh, please." Reshmi rested her elbows on the desk and shook her head dramatically. "I've worked here for four years. I've never seen him refuse a client like that. He didn't refuse because you're an employee. He refused because you're his wife."
The smile on Aprajita's face slowly softened.
She knew the truth. Rakshit wasn't being possessive.
He probably hadn't even realised how his words had sounded to everyone else. In his mind, he had simply seen another project being added to her already overflowing schedule and refused it without a second thought.
Nothing more.
Still, for reasons she couldn't explain, the memory of him saying "Mrs. Bharadwaj already has enough work" wrapped itself around her heart with a quiet warmth she couldn't bring herself to ignore.
💛
Next morning,
The shrill sound of the alarm cut through the quiet room. Rakshit frowned and reached towards the bedside table without opening his eyes. After silencing it, he lay still for another moment, expecting the familiar silence that usually greeted his mornings.
Instead, a soft humming floated in through the half-open balcony door.
His eyes slowly opened. The curtains swayed gently in the cool morning breeze, allowing the pale sunlight to spill into the room. Beyond them, on the small balcony, Aprajita stood with a green watering can in one hand, completely absorbed in what she was doing.
For a moment, he simply watched. A week had passed since she had filled the once-empty balcony with plants.
Much to her own surprise-and repeated announcements-the entire collection was still alive. Apparently, according to Aprajita, it was one of the greatest achievements of her adult life.
"Seven whole days," she had proudly declared to Aravind two days ago. "Not a single plant has filed a complaint against me."
His lips twitched faintly at the memory.
She was still humming under her breath as she bent slightly to water one of the pots. Her fingers gently brushed over a leaf before she adjusted its position, almost as though she were checking if it was comfortable.
The morning breeze lifted strands of her hair across her face. She blew them away once. Then twice.
When they refused to co operate, she sighed "You're becoming more troublesome than these plants."
Balancing the watering can on the floor, she gathered her hair with both hands and twisted it into a messy bun. A few stubborn strands escaped immediately, framing her face despite her efforts.
She didn't seem to notice.
She resumed watering the plants with the same quiet concentration.
Rakshit remained where he was, his head resting against the pillow. He wasn't sure how long he had been watching. Long enough to notice the way she smiled every time she saw a new leaf sprouting.
Long enough to notice how carefully she wiped away the dust from one of the pots with the edge of her dupatta and to realise that this had become part of his mornings.
A month ago, waking up meant an empty room, untouched furniture, and silence.
Now, there was always something.
The sound of her humming.
The fragrance of fresh tea drifting in from downstairs.
The greenery she had insisted on bringing into his monochrome balcony.
Her presence had quietly woven itself into the routine of his life.
Not loud. Simply, there.
He looked at her for another moment before lowering his gaze. It was strange.
He still didn't feel anything beyond respect for her. He wasn't going to fall in love with her.
He had made that decision long before she entered his life, and he had no intention of changing it.
Yet, watching her stand among those plants in the soft morning light, completely unaware that he was awake, filled him with a sense of calm he couldn't quite explain.
It wasn't love.
It wasn't attraction.
It was simply...
Peace.
And for a man whose life had been nothing but deadlines, responsibilities, and relentless work, peace had become surprisingly rare.
💛
The afternoon at the office had been unusually calm.
For the first time in weeks, Rakshit wasn't buried beneath a mountain of urgent files. The Singhania deal was behind him, and although new projects had already begun lining up, the frantic pace had eased.
He had just signed the last document on his desk when his phone buzzed. The screen displayed a familiar name.
Ram Gopal Uncle.
Rakshit answered immediately. "Hello, papa."
"Rakshit beta," Ram Gopal greeted warmly. "Am I disturbing you?"
"Not at all."
There was a brief pause before Ram spoke again. "I wanted to ask you something."
"Of course."
"It's about the Maldives package."
Rakshit's gaze instinctively shifted towards the stack of files on his desk.
"The booking expires in fifteen days." Ram tells gently.
"I know." His answer came quietly.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about it." Ram chuckled softly.
Another pause settled between them.
Then his tone became gentler. "Rakshit..."
You've both been working since the day after your wedding. I don't think either of you has had a single day to yourselves."
Rakshit leaned back in his chair, listening silently.
"I know work is important. I know responsibilities don't wait. But sometimes...people shouldn't wait either." He let those words sink in before continuing.
"Take her somewhere not because it's a honeymoon, not because you're expected to but because both of you deserve a break from this routine."
Rakshit closed his eyes for a brief moment. He knew exactly what Ram Gopal believed.
He believed this was a normal marriage.
A marriage that simply needed time.
If only he knew the truth.
Ram sighed softly on the other end.
"Aprajita didn't want me to speak with you about this."
A faint crease appeared between Rakshit's brows.
"She said it wasn't fair to pressure you but..." His voice carried the quiet concern only a father could have. As her father, I couldn't stay quiet, Rakshit. I hope you understand me."
Rakshit lowered his gaze. He did understand more than Ram Gopal realised. "I do, papa."
Ram smiled faintly. "I know you don't owe me any explanations but.." the words made Rakshit sit a little straighter. "I only want you to make time to know each other. Sometimes.... understanding a person is just as important."
Silence lingered between them. Then Ram spoke again, his voice softer than before. "I hope you take care of my daughter."
The simple sentence landed heavily in Rakshit's heart. He looked out through the glass wall of his cabin.
Aprajita was at her desk, completely engrossed in her work, unaware that her father was placing his trust in him.
He couldn't tell Ram Gopal about the contract. He couldn't explain that this marriage already had an expiry date.
And he certainly couldn't refuse the man who had spoken with such quiet faith.
After a long moment, Rakshit finally spoke. "We'll leave tomorrow, papa."
There was complete silence on the other end.
Then Ram Gopal laughed-a genuine, relieved laugh that instantly revealed how worried he had been. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."
His happiness was almost infectious.
"This trip will bring beautiful memories to you, Rakshit. I'll pray that it does."
Rakshit smiled faintly, though it never reached his eyes. "I'll call you once we reach."
"I'll be waiting." After exchanging a few more words, the call ended.
Rakshit slowly lowered the phone onto his desk and leaned back in his chair.
Five days.
Just him and Aprajita.
Alone in the Maldives.
He let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair.
For the first time since their marriage, there would be no office to hide behind.
No meetings.
No deadlines.
No late nights.
Just uninterrupted time with the woman who had quietly become a part of his everyday life.
The thought should have made him uncomfortable.
Instead...It left him wondering what exactly those five days were going to change.
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